Westfield man opens his own Sears store in Hadley

Photo by John Suchocki / The RepublicanNeal E. Lacomb, of Westfield, has opened a Sears store on Route 9 in Hadley where he was recently joined by his wife, Susan E., and their son, Nicholas, 11 months.

By JIM KINNEY
Business writer

HADLEY - The Sears store on Route 9 may have the most well-known name in retailing.

But store owner Neal E. Lacomb said customers are sometimes a bit perplexed, especially after he introduces himself as the store's owner.

"'You don't own Sears,' they tell me," he said. "People think it's an outlet store where they are going to find scratch-and-dent appliances. People think it's like the old catalogue stores. It's not. This is Sears."

Authorized retail dealer

Lacomb is not a long-lost descendant of either Sears or Roebuck. But he does own this Sears store through the company's Authorized Retail Dealer Stores Program. He opened the store three weeks ago after months of construction and after he had undergone weeks of training including time helping run a store in New Hampshire and a week at Sears headquarters near Chicago.

"It's a unique opportunity," he said. "They don't advertise it. They are very selective."

He doesn't pay a franchise fee or royalty. It's more of a consignment arrangement. Lacomb said he gets a commission on everything he sells.

He also gets incentives depending on volume, fees for delivery, and arranging for installations, according to the Sears Holdings Corp. Web site.

Sears Holdings said the initial investment in a Sears store can run anywhere from $55,000 to $100,000. Owners must have $10,000 available without borrowing and a net worth of at least $120,000. Owners must work in the stores full-time, but hire staff as well.

Sears Holdings is the company that emerged in 2005 when Sears merged with Kmart. Sears had already purchased Land's End in 2002, according to the Sears' Web site.

Sears could buy him out

Lacomb said if Sears wants to open a Sears or a Kmart selling Sears brands, such as Kenmore or Craftsman, within the 13-mile radius he has established as his territory, Sears would have to buy him out.

He also sells other brands, such as Sony or Maytag, sold by Sears. He sells hard goods such as appliances, tools, lawn and garden equipment. He said he hopes to add mattresses and box springs soon.

The territory nearly reaches the large Sears store in the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside. But Lacomb, 33-year-old accountant who lives in Westfield, said people from Amherst and Hadley won't drive past his store to shop at store in the mall, especially when he has the same prices and the same brands.

Different markets

"People either shop at the Holyoke Mall or they shop here," Lacomb said. "The markets are separate."

Most Sears dealers are in small towns.

The Sears Web site lists other locally-owned stores in Great Barrington and Bennington, Vt.

Lacomb said his store is on a busier road than most other Sears dealers, though.

Route 9 is home to Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy. Lowe's and The Home Depot have plans for stores on Route 9 as well.

But Lacomb said he's happy that he's surrounded by mostly small businesses.